The UAE’s harsh sunlight has a positive side, as it brings out the best of vibrant and sometimes wild colours that pop under the auburn, sand-filtered sunsets. No one knows this better than Dubai-born Jean-Pierre Mondelak.
Mondalek has an obsession with Porsche that dates back to his earliest memories of riding in his uncle’s Zermatt silver 944 Turbo. His love for the brand eventually blossomed into a colourful and varied collection of 911 models.
JP, as he’s better known, likes to go the extra mile, searching for Paint-to-Sample examples or even better, an Exclusive Manufaktur or even a one-off Sonderwunsch build. But for someone who has previously starred at Icons of Porsche with his very own display comprising his 964 Turbo, 993 Turbo and 930 Flachbau, it’s JP’s latest purchase that has taken pride of place at Icons of Porsche for 2024.
“The latest addition to the collection is a 1996 911 Carrera 4S in a special colour called Iris Blue with a Midnight Blue interior but it also has what’s become a bit of a trademark of mine, body coloured wheels. So it's blue over blue with blue wheels and I call her Iris,” said Mondalek.
“Growing up, I was surrounded by my Dad’s sports cars but it was my uncle’s 1989 944 Turbo that left a big mark on me and it was always my ambition that one day, after working hard and having the means, I would become a Porsche owner.”
Noting its specific Zermatt Silver, which has a darker side to it than most silvers and almost looks like a golden brown tint in the sun, JP eventually found a car that was the combination of his two biggest influencers, the movie 'Bad Boys' and his uncle’s 944.
“There’s one car I will never sell which I bought in 2018. It was the perfect specimen of my favourite Porsche of all time, the 1994 911 Turbo 3.6 made special by the original ‘Bad Boys’ movie. Whilst that car was obviously black, this car was in none other than Zermatt Silver, the same as my uncle’s car that first piqued my love for Porsches.
“The colour was Paint-to-Sample which, back in the ‘90s, was not publicly available. You had to be a very special VIP and this car was owned for 20 years by someone in the leadership team at Microsoft who reported directly to Bill Gates before it landed in Dubai in 2018.”
These cars became part of the 2022 Icons of Porsche when JP was asked to display a trio of his cars for the event. He also displayed his 'Iris' this year for the 2024 edition.
“Icons of Porsche is very special to me because I had my very own display of my own cars here back in 2022. Porsche Middle East & Africa gathered three of my cars together, the 964 Turbo, the 993 Turbo and my 930 Flachbau and it was genuinely a highlight of my Porsche ownership experience to see them together in this setting at Icons of Porsche.
"It was genuinely a highlight of my Porsche ownership experience to see my cars together in this setting at Icons of Porsche." - Dubai-based Porsche owner Jean-Pierre Mondelak
“There’s some amazing cars here at Icons of Porsche in incredible colours. I literally can’t get around to see everything but it’s been amazing to show my cars at Icons of Porsche over the years, but now it’s so much more than just this event because this week has topped everything. Porsche and the clubs organised some incredible events this week leading up to the weekend.
“Firstly, we had a drive night on track at the Dubai Autodrome on Wednesday, then on Thursday we all met up at DRVN by Porsche café on Bluewaters Island, which looked incredible to see so many Porsches and then on Friday we had a run up the Jebel Jais mountain. So it’s been a super busy week for Porsche owners in Dubai and then of course there’s this weekend, which is mind blowing, honestly.”
With Iris grabbing so much attention under the lights at Icons of Porsche it’s fair to say JP is content with his collection but there’s always another to tempt a wandering eye.
What’s next on the radar after ‘Iris’ is yet to be discussed with his wife as they have a rule that in order to buy another car, one must be sold first. So which car will go?
“That’s like asking which of your children do you let go. I honestly can’t tell you.
“But I have this guilty pleasure also for transaxle Porsche models, so actually, it might come all back full circle to a 944 Turbo and there just happens to be a very special one of the Silver Rose editions tucked away in a nearby garage,” said Mondalek.
Given JP’s history of appearing at Icons of Porsche in a different car each year, the odds seem high that his next purchase will be one of the fast appreciating, front-engined models from the 1990’s – and it sounds like he has already identified the next 'icon' for his collection.
